The 239-acre property has permanent conservation and public access
BLACKSBURG – The New River Land Trust (NRLT) has announced the transfer of ownership of the 239-acre Brush Mountain Property 2, also known as Stone-cutters Hollow, to the Town of Blacksburg.
The land is the second of three properties that make up Brush Mountain Park to be transferred to the town.
“This project was first and foremost a conservation project and combines two important aspects of conservation: permanent legal protection of the land and public access so that people can experience first-hand the peace, beauty and inspiration that comes with conserved open naturally spaces,” NRLT announced. “At the same time as the ownership transfer, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation placed a permanent Open Space Easement on the property, ensuring that the land will remain protected forever. VOF was the primary funder for the Brush Mountain Park land acquisition, awarding a $1.2 million grant in 2018 through its Forest CORE Fund.”
“Together, the ownership transfer and conservation easement guarantee that the property will remain open to the public as a forest park with trails,” according to NRLT. “This outcome was made possible through generous community donations of time and resources, along with the hard work of the Poverty Creek Trails Coalition and trail construction contractor Eastern Trail Company.”
NRLT intends to continue to pursue opportunities to “add acreage to the park, expand and enhance the trail network, and support ongoing trail maintenance needs.”
“The Land Trust extends its sincere thanks to the Town of Blacksburg for its foresight in supporting the project from the beginning and its willingness to assume long-term ownership and management responsibilities,” NRLT’s statement reads. “We also extend our thanks to the many stakeholders who contributed to the project’s success, recognizing that large conservation efforts like Brush Mountain Park are only possible through a coordinated team effort.”
Staff report
